The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-20
A GRAVE PROBLEM.
TOUCHING THE VITAL SPOT IN
OUR FORM or GOVERNMENT.
How Many Congressman Shall We Have
When Our Population Shall BE Num-
bered Among the Hundred Millions?
A Serious Matter.

How Many Congressman Shall We Have
When Our Population Shall BE Num-
bsred Among the Hundred Millions?
A Serious Matter.
Sunset Cox once said that 9 greater and
n graver problem than that of taxes and
finance WAS sure to arise in the future,
and a future not very far of, and it is a
question that touches the vital spot in our
form of government That Is the queS-
ton of apportionment- The aPportiOn-
meut upon which the present house of
representatives is based is the work main
ly of Mr. Cox, and he spent many weeks
in most assiduous labor in preparing the
bill lt looks very easy, but il is not. All
you have got to do is to decide how many
people shall be entitled To a representative,
and then divide the total population Of
| each state by this figure That viii give
| the number of representatives each state
| is entitled TO- But the trouble is to fix
| the ratio. IL is growing trouble, and il
| is going to be very difficult Mr- Cox in
/ decd is disposed to think that it may be
| come a very dangerous trouble, and due to
| the fact that some time or other, not many
generations hence, the population of the
| United States will be numbered among the
| 100, 900 900. There wont be any trouble
| about raising crops enough to feed ,OOO, =
coo 900 in this country. The whole popu-
lation, 81, 900, 600 by the census of 1889,
| might be placed in the state OF Texas and
| not be crowded any more than the people
of Great Britain are crowded. But when
our population passes 100, 000, 900 one of
| two things must happen Either the num-
Der of the members of the house of repre-
| sentstiveS must be increased to an alb
surdly large figure, or the smaller states
and those whose population shows the
least percentage of increase must see their
| representation in the house constantly
dwindIin9 away. Mr.. Cox, in 1880, was
| Obliged to cut down the number of repre-
sentatives in Vermont, New Hampshire
and MaryIa land Nevada wouldn't have
had any representative but for the cousti-
tutioraI provision guaranteeing each state
| one and il the ratio had been few thou
sands larger Delaware would, but for the
constitution, have lost its single repre-
| sentative.
Mr. Cox's figst idea was 70 fix the mum
Der upon which representation Is based al
a Iart,cr figure than that adopted, but the
rebe.iious protests from states which
woul,l thereby lose n representative oil
two were so great that he did not do it
, | Yet II il found that the present member
shi,. 80 the house, 10, is too large, boil
: for convenience and for efficiency in trans
actin; i,r;s.ues5. Motions have alread,
| been marie TO remove the desks and sea
, | the, members. as in the English pariia
, | n,s.ts. o.I s..l,cl.es. If at the next appor
tor ri,iit .sit:..h follows tine census takel
thra., wears hence, the number of repre-
, | sc:ttat,Nc- - Increased, congress Will ID
| obii.s-l c.t,-.r IL enlarge the present chan,
Der OF the house Or hurdle the member
| together on benches. Mr.. Cox Is inclinet
to think that there viii be needed in tn
| congress- that follows that census the high
est qualities Of prudence and statesman
i ship, in order to prepare an apportion
q | menu bill that will stand the least chanc
of becoming q law. One thing is certal
if the present ratio is retained the hons
will number between 100 and 800 men
beers: while on the other hand, if the nun
e Der which makes the basis is increase
r many of the older states Will lose repre-
t sentatiyes: to only one or two will be a
s lotted any increased number, while th
D new states in the Mississippi valley wi
d in any event have greatly increased rel
resentation 1t is estimated that the poi
l. ulation i'll 1890 will be found to be b.
e tween 6J coo go and 6. OO0, 900, a great;
r number than any republic ever had,
II greater number than any Emitted or COZ
I, stitutionaI monarchy now has. At lea
:, 40 per cent. of this increase viii be four
IS beyond the Mississippi and 90 per cent Z
e it beyond the Alieghanics-
1T III. then, it be decided that 10 state
rs to lose its present number OF represent
lie tives. the number of members in the ne'
L house VIII be 40 approximately Ne
N York Massachusetts, and Pennsylyan
e. would gain-New York two, probabl
De the other two states one, possibly; but
e. is probable that not another state east
ii the AIle,benies, with the posS' Ole exec
rs ton Of Georgia, would gain a single OF
e. OF the 10 new members, Nor Won
Or there he any great gains in any OF Il
De | states east of the Mississippi. 1t Is pro
n able that from 30 to 100 OF these ne
4 - ~
ne great states west of the Mississippi Tex
n would press New York very hard as Il
le | state having the largest rcpresentatio
in | Kansas. Nebraska. Missouri, Iowa, Nj
he nesota and Dakota, III admitted, Won
is gain au increased representation Of fro
~ 40 to go per cent, and Oregon, Californ
or and Washington. If it is admitted, Won
al rival uiaay OF the older states in the nui
rs Der of their Representatives
il But it will be difficult to induce al
We congress to pass an apportionment b
nv | nxin4 the number of new members at
"a larger figure than $50 Should that nui
Der be selected it wCuid fix the ratio
ID representation Approximately at one
each $4,000 Of population THIS won
certainly very greatly reduce the represe
tation Of the older states, and, if the nul
Der of members be kept 1T the prese
figure (3lN, New Hampshire, Vernon
Rhode Island, Florida and Nevada won
lat pc represented by only one member eaC
s. Maine, Connecticut and Maryland
no three: and il is doubtful if a single SITS
no east # the AIIeghanies would gain Il me
is her Since the census OF 1870 tine stat
on the Atlantic slope nave steadily 10
New York once had - members. Mas:
ne chusett5 Is, Virginia 20, Maine Z, Conn
EN- ! ticUt ): bat .lough the population OF nc
nd of these states has decreased, and the to
he population il more than twice as great
of | il Was II SO. and the number of me
beers OF the house more than four times
many Is were in the liTSt congress,
- | since 1910 every state on the Allan
- Slope LIS lost representation And thou
VI W by tile year 1900 our population will
CT not far frorl 90. coo, GG1, these states I'll
" either submit to further losses or else
house Of representatives must be CON
tutc;I the largest legislative body in
the tory New York san.
INV |